14 June 1813–9 Apr. 1895. Auctioneer, merchant, banker. Born at Clinton, Upper Canada. Son of Henry Ruth and Marie Overholt. Purchased interest in town of De Witt (first called Eldersport), Carroll Co., Missouri, 1837. Sold lots to Latter-day Saints. Moved...

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

in consequence of witholding the records of the church in
the city of
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

John
Whitmer was excommunicated a month earlier. Appointed church historian in
1831, he commenced working on—or more likely
keeping records for—a history of the church that year. He also had copies of
other church records. (Minute Book 2, 10
Mar. 1838;
Revelation, ca. 8 Mar.
1831–B,
in Doctrine and Covenants 63, 1835 ed. [D&C 47];
Whitmer, History, 1.)

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

, after such
corrections as we thaught would be necessary; knowing your
incompetency as a historian, and that your writings coming from your
pen, could not be put to the press, without our correcting them, or
elce the Church must suffer reproach; Indeed Sir, we never supposed you
capable of writing a history; but were willing to let it come out
under your name notwithstanding it would realy not be yours but ours.
We are still willing to honour you, if you can be made to know your own
interest and give up your notes, so that they can be corrected, and
made fit for the press. But if not, we have all the materials for another,
which we shall commence this week to write44

The church presidency
never received
Whitmer’s history or historical notes and began writing
a new history of the church about three weeks later. In 1903, the Reorganized
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints purchased Whitmer’s history from
George Schweich,
David
Whitmer’s grandson. (JS, Journal,
27 Apr. 1838;
History of the
Reorganized Church, 6:62–63.)

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

The highest presiding body of the church. An 11 November 1831 revelation stated that the president of the high priesthood was to preside over the church. JS was ordained as president of the high priesthood on 25 January 1832. In March 1832, JS appointed two...

14 June 1813–9 Apr. 1895. Auctioneer, merchant, banker. Born at Clinton, Upper Canada. Son of Henry Ruth and Marie Overholt. Purchased interest in town of De Witt (first called Eldersport), Carroll Co., Missouri, 1837. Sold lots to Latter-day Saints. Moved...

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

in consequence of witholding the records of the church in
the city of
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

John
Whitmer was excommunicated a month earlier. Appointed church historian in
1831, he commenced working on—or more likely
keeping records for—a history of the church that year. He also had copies of
other church records. (Minute Book 2, 10
Mar. 1838;
Revelation, ca. 8 Mar.
1831–B,
in Doctrine and Covenants 63, 1835 ed. [D&C 47];
Whitmer, History, 1.)

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

, after such
corrections as we thaught would be necessary; knowing your
incompetency as a historian, and that your writings coming from your
pen, could not be put to the press, without our correcting them, or
elce the Church must suffer reproach; Indeed Sir, we never supposed you
capable of writing a history; but were willing to let it come out
under your name notwithstanding it would realy not be yours but ours.
We are still willing to honour you, if you can be made to know your own
interest and give up your notes, so that they can be corrected, and
made fit for the press. But if not, we have all the materials for another,
which we shall commence this week to write44

The church presidency
never received
Whitmer’s history or historical notes and began writing
a new history of the church about three weeks later. In 1903, the Reorganized
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints purchased Whitmer’s history from
George Schweich,
David
Whitmer’s grandson. (JS, Journal,
27 Apr. 1838;
History of the
Reorganized Church, 6:62–63.)

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

The highest presiding body of the church. An 11 November 1831 revelation stated that the president of the high priesthood was to preside over the church. JS was ordained as president of the high priesthood on 25 January 1832. In March 1832, JS appointed two...

JS revelation, dated Jan. 1831, directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” In Dec. 1832, JS revelation directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS revelation, dated 1 June 1833, chastened...

in spring
1836,
JS and church members renewed their efforts on
three fronts: proselytizing, raising funds to purchase land in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

on which to settle increasing
numbers of Latter-day Saints, and building a larger and stronger Latter-day
Saint community in
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

did events unfold as expected. Success in
gathering converts to Missouri provoked renewed external opposition, again
forcing church members in that state to relocate. Meanwhile, conflicts engulfed
JS in Kirtland.

Revelations
directed Latter-day Saint elders to proselytize throughout the world after
being empowered in the
House
of the Lord

JS revelation, dated Jan. 1831, directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” In Dec. 1832, JS revelation directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS revelation, dated 1 June 1833, chastened...

. A modest beginning during the remainder of
1836 crescendoed the following year with
missionary service throughout the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

and
the successful launching of a ministry in England. Their
mission was not only to preach and make converts but also to gather the
descendants of the biblical house of Israel, now scattered throughout the
world. Converts were encouraged to move to designated locations in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

. The Mormon quest to establish Zion in
Missouri, temporarily abandoned after the Saints’ expulsion from
Jackson County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

Beginning in
April 1836,
JS and his associates engaged in an aggressive
fund-raising campaign for land purchases in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Settled ca. 1800. Organized from Ray Co., 1822. Original size diminished when land was taken to create several surrounding counties. Liberty designated county seat, 1822. Population in 1830 about 5,000; in 1836 about 8,500; and in 1840 about 8,300. Refuge...

, Missouri, to join the Latter-day Saints who had been expelled
from
Jackson County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

in
1833. The rapid growth of the Mormon population
eroded the tolerance of other Clay County residents, who concluded in
late June 1836 that the
Saints must leave. By then threats of violence and the intimidation of incoming
Mormons made the once welcoming community much less so.2

Attempting to
prevent future hostilities—and probably to divert Mormon immigration away from
more coveted lands—on 29 December 1836, the
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

Settled ca. 1800. Organized from Ray Co., 1822. Original size diminished when land was taken to create several surrounding counties. Liberty designated county seat, 1822. Population in 1830 about 5,000; in 1836 about 8,500; and in 1840 about 8,300. Refuge...

An Act to Organize the Counties of Caldwell
and Daviess [29 Dec. 1836], Laws of the State of Missouri
[1836], 46–47; History of Caldwell and Livingston
Counties, 103–105;
Riggs, “Economic Impact
of Fort Leavenworth,” 129.

The Saints willingly left Clay County and
established headquarters at
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

in Caldwell County, but they made no formal commitment to limit
their settlement to one county. Indeed, they anticipated establishing numerous
additional stakes of Zion elsewhere in northwestern Missouri. Tension over
future Mormon expansion was inherent in the arrangement.

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

.
In seeking to establish a sacral society directed by prophetic leadership,
JS crossed conventional boundaries between
religious and secular affairs. For him, God’s commandments made no distinction
between the spiritual and the temporal.5

Subjecting oneself to a religious leader’s direction in temporal matters
clashed with American ideals of unfettered individual freedom. As the Mormon
population of Kirtland continued to grow, JS and his associates conceived
expansive plans for that community. A pivotal element was a bank, which could
help provide capital for development. Though they were unable to obtain a state
charter—an ultimately fatal flaw—they nevertheless established a financial
institution in January 1837. The “Kirtland
Safety Society” faltered early, due in part to negative publicity, the refusal
of many area banks to accept Safety Society notes, and the predatory actions of
outsiders who systematically acquired its notes and quickly demanded payment in
specie, thus depleting its reserves. The Safety Society suspended such payments
in late January, then
failed several months later during the recession that gripped the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

Naked Truths about Mormonism: Also a Journal for
Important, Newly Apprehended Truths, and Miscellany. Oakland, CA. Jan.
and Apr. 1888.

Stresses related to the bank failure, mounting personal
debt of Kirtland Mormons, and church indebtedness due to construction of the
House
of the Lord

JS revelation, dated Jan. 1831, directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” In Dec. 1832, JS revelation directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS revelation, dated 1 June 1833, chastened...

caused some to question the scope and legitimacy of JS’s
prophetic leadership. Some of JS’s closest associates became disaffected.
Prominent among the dissenters were JS’s former secretary
Warren Parrish

10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...

, several apostles, a number of
the members of the Quorum of the Seventy, and the Three Witnesses to the Book
of Mormon plates. Their discontent escalated from dismay with JS’s financial
leadership to rejection of his religious leadership.7

Esplin, Ronald K. “The Emergence of Brigham Young and the
Twelve to Mormon Leadership, 1830–1841.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University,
1981. Also available as The Emergence of Brigham Young and the Twelve to
Mormon Leadership, 1830–1841, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History
(Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU
Studies, 2006).

Such views eventually spread to nearly one-third of the church’s
general leadership and over ten percent of the local church membership in
Ohio

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...

and others attempted to establish a
church of their own and to take control of the
House
of the Lord

JS revelation, dated Jan. 1831, directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” In Dec. 1832, JS revelation directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS revelation, dated 1 June 1833, chastened...

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

Compounding JS’s problems was the
antipathy of numerous non-Mormon residents of
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

In
fall 1837,
JS moved vigorously to reassert his authority as
church president. At a conference in September,
he and church leaders loyal to him disciplined dissidents in
Ohio

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

high council. Meanwhile, problems developed among church leaders in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

14 Nov. 1799–25 Oct. 1838. Farmer. Born in Vermont. Son of Benoni Patten and Edith Cole. Moved to Theresa, Oneida Co., New York, as a young child. Moved to Dundee, Monroe Co., Michigan Territory, as a youth. Married Phoebe Ann Babcock, 1828, in Dundee. Affiliated...

decried unilateral actions by the Missouri presidency. Concern
focused particularly on the management by counselors
John
Whitmer

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

When Marsh traveled to Kirtland in
summer 1837, he probably
informed JS of these Missouri leadership issues. To underscore the importance
of unity and to prepare the way for changes in Missouri leadership if they
should be required, JS sent minutes of the September Kirtland conference to Missouri, along with
a revelation, additional written counsel, and verbal instructions conveyed by
Marsh and JS’s brother
Hyrum
Smith

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co., by...

, an assistant counselor in the presidency. Soon after, JS and his
loyal first counselor,
Sidney
Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

, Missouri,
where with Hyrum Smith they met with local church leaders in
early November and
reached what seemed to be a satisfactory resolution of most of the outstanding
issues. At a conference the following day, the local presidency were retained
after they made confessions in response to objections raised against them.
However, the First Presidency underwent major changes.
Frederick G. Williams

, JS’s second
counselor, was removed from office after considerable discussion and replaced
with Hyrum Smith. The name of
Oliver
Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

When arrangements were completed in late 1836 for Mormon settlement in
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

, renewed
large-scale migration of Mormons to Missouri became feasible.
JS and the presidency had anticipated moving there
earlier in 1836 to direct the resettlement of
incoming converts, but the delay in establishing a permanent Missouri location
and the entanglements of Kirtland kept them in
Ohio

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

Threatened by dissidents
and pursued by creditors, he learned in January
1838 of his impending arrest on a charge of illegal banking—quite likely
a ruse devised by his opponents to drive him from Ohio.17

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

high council conducted, in each of
five settlements, meetings of church members in which the conduct of the
Missouri presidency was reviewed. Marsh indicated that the meetings were
conducted according to instructions from JS. The outcome of each meeting was
that the leadership of the presidency—consisting of
David
Whitmer

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

—was rejected. The Missouri high council and bishopric replaced
the presidency with an interim presidency of Marsh and apostle
David W.
Patten

14 Nov. 1799–25 Oct. 1838. Farmer. Born in Vermont. Son of Benoni Patten and Edith Cole. Moved to Theresa, Oneida Co., New York, as a young child. Moved to Dundee, Monroe Co., Michigan Territory, as a youth. Married Phoebe Ann Babcock, 1828, in Dundee. Affiliated...

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

on 28 March 1838, two weeks after
JS, and was immediately pressed into service.
Within a day or two of arriving, he began writing what would become the present
journal. Robinson made his initial inscriptions in a general church record book
that already included a roster of Latter-day Saints living in
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

. He began
writing on the first blank page following the previously inscribed roster.
The journal Robinson kept for JS documents critical developments in the
struggle of JS and the presidency to maintain leadership of the church and to
fulfill ambitious plans for Zion in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

. It records their efforts to found
settlements outside their headquarters and gathering center in Caldwell County
during spring and summer 1838,
as well as the first signs of the deterioration of that effort. The journal is
primarily a documentary record. Several key developments are depicted only by
documents copied into the record without narrative ligatures.

The journal entries only occasionally
provide insights into intentions, perceptions, evaluations, and feelings. When
they do so,
Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into LDS church and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high council, beginning Jan. 1836. Married...

’s perspective is usually represented. In
the journal entries, Robinson refers to
JS in the third person and to himself in the
first. Thus references to “I” or “myself” in the journal entries usually
indicate Robinson rather than JS.

The journal opens with a brief retrospective account, apparently
dictated by
JS, of his arrival in
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

, and a half-dozen prominent Latter-day
Saints. The motto reflected JS’s experiences with dissent and persecution in
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

and signaled his determination to vigorously assert the Latter-day Saints’
right to establish themselves in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

and to pursue their goals without
harassment. JS’s letter of 29 March 1838,
copied on pages 23–26 of the journal, indicates that the motto was already
inscribed in the journal by that date.

Following the motto are two sets of
questions and answers about the book of Isaiah. A series of transcripts or
summaries of eight documents follows. These materials relate to a seven-month
series of events that culminated in the
12–13 April 1838
excommunications of
Oliver
Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

apparently began transcribing these
documents and entries on the same day that Cowdery was excommunicated.
Cowdery’s trial seems to have been the motivating factor for transcribing this
set of documents and creating an ongoing record with its own identity. These
documents include minutes, instructions, and revelations originally written in
Ohio

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

as early as 3
September 1837; minutes of a conference in which
Brigham
Young

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

14 Nov. 1799–25 Oct. 1838. Farmer. Born in Vermont. Son of Benoni Patten and Edith Cole. Moved to Theresa, Oneida Co., New York, as a young child. Moved to Dundee, Monroe Co., Michigan Territory, as a youth. Married Phoebe Ann Babcock, 1828, in Dundee. Affiliated...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

; and terse synopses of the
excommunication proceedings. In stark contrast to the frank evaluations of key
leaders that
JS dictated for his earliest journal, the present
journal’s businesslike documentary treatment yields little insight into the
interpersonal dynamics of their estrangement or the impact that severing ties
to former close associates had on JS. Robinson also copied a letter from a
Missouri landholder offering property at
De
Witt

Located on bluffs north of Missouri River, about six miles above mouth of Grand River. Permanently settled, by 1826. Laid out, 1836. First called Elderport; name changed to De Witt, 1837, when town acquired by speculators David Thomas and Henry Root, who ...

, Carroll County, to JS as a strategic site for control of commerce
in the region. A purchase was eventually consummated, and Latter-day Saints
settled there, angering those Missourians who objected to Mormon settlement
outside
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

Following copies of brief personal
revelations that
JS dictated for apostles
David W.
Patten

14 Nov. 1799–25 Oct. 1838. Farmer. Born in Vermont. Son of Benoni Patten and Edith Cole. Moved to Theresa, Oneida Co., New York, as a young child. Moved to Dundee, Monroe Co., Michigan Territory, as a youth. Married Phoebe Ann Babcock, 1828, in Dundee. Affiliated...

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

recorded JS’s
26 April 1838 revelation mandating the
continued growth of
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

Plans for Far West included temple on central block. Latter-day Saints in Caldwell Co. made preparations for construction and commenced excavating for foundation, 3 July 1837. However, while visiting Latter-day Saints in Far West, 6 Nov. 1837, JS gave instructions...

there, and the establishment of Latter-day Saint settlements in that vicinity.
The revelation sanctioned the name for the church that JS and others had
recently begun to use: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

After inscribing this substantial
body of recapitulations and copied documents,
Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into LDS church and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high council, beginning Jan. 1836. Married...

recorded daily journal entries,
beginning with an entry for 27 April 1838.
By this point, Robinson was serving as a scribe to the First Presidency, and
the journal focused not only on
JS but also on
Sidney
Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

, both counselors in the church presidency. Frequently, but not
consistently, the scribe accompanied JS and the presidency on trips away from
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

, and Robinson started JS’s history. Thus a
promising record-keeping routine began to be established, which lasted for six
weeks. Entries for the first three weeks document a brief interlude of settled
existence in
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

, with JS and his counselors collaborating on the history, studying
grammar, and attending meetings, and JS working his garden. However, the
presidency was soon on the move again. After receiving word of a sizable
migration of Latter-day Saints to
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

offered incoming Latter-day
Saints, many of whom were poor, a place to live while neither buying nor
renting. As squatters on
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

government land, heads of
households could apply for preemption rights (first right of purchase) on up to
160 acres of land that they occupied, pending completion of official government
land surveys. Applicants were not required—or even allowed—to pay the
government for the land until after the surveys were completed. Then, to
acquire title to the property, they were to pay the relatively low price of
$1.25 per acre prior to an announced date, after which their property would
otherwise be offered for sale to the general public, along with the unclaimed
land in the surveyed area. The selection and private surveying of Daviess
County land by
JS and his colleagues provided the basis for
orderly and relatively compact settlement coordinated by church officials.21

Walker,
Jeffrey N. “Mormon Land Rights in Caldwell and Daviess Counties and the Mormon
Conflict of 1838: New Findings and New Understandings.” Paper presented at the
annual meeting of the Mormon History Association, Salt Lake City, 24–27 May
2007.

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

, by
contrast, involved more conventional purchases. Government surveys were already
completed for that county, and government land was already being sold.

The pattern of record keeping became
more varied after the presidency and their scribe traveled to
Daviess County

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

’s daily entries lapsed as the Mormons
laid out a city plot for a Latter-day Saint settlement at
Adam-ondi-Ahman

Town located in northwest Missouri. JS revelations designated area as place where Adam blessed his posterity after leaving Garden of Eden and where Adam will return prior to Second Coming. While seeking new areas in Daviess Co. for settlement, JS and others...

,
began building homes, and organized a stake. They persisted in creating the new
settlement despite their
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Gentry, Leland Homer. “A
History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri from 1836 to 1839.” PhD
diss., Brigham Young University, 1965. Also available as A History of
the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri from 1836 to 1839,
Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith
Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2000).

Meanwhile, tensions continued between
JS and the majority who supported him on the one
hand and prominent excommunicants who remained in
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

came to feel that peace and harmony among the
Latter-day Saints—essential if they were to succeed in establishing Zion in
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Corrill,
John. A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints,
(Commonly Called Mormons;) Including an Account of Their Doctrine and
Discipline; with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church. St.
Louis: By the author, 1839.

they were threatened with violence, and several of them left the county. Active
in compelling their departure was a new volunteer paramilitary organization of
Mormon men called the Danites, of which
Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into LDS church and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high council, beginning Jan. 1836. Married...

’s journal keeping for
JS lapsed for most of
June and July, he did note
significant developments in three
early July entries
consisting primarily of copied correspondence and revelations. He wrote an
entry for 4 July, when
Sidney
Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

’s oration at the Mormons’ celebration of Independence Day at
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

The entry for
6 July is a copy of a letter received that
day from
Heber C. Kimball

14 June 1801–22 June 1868. Blacksmith, potter. Born at Sheldon, Franklin Co., Vermont. Son of Solomon Farnham Kimball and Anna Spaulding. Married Vilate Murray, 22 Nov. 1822, at Mendon, Monroe Co., New York. Member of Baptist church at Mendon, 1831. Baptized...

reporting the circumstances of members of the extended Smith
family moving together from
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

to Far West. At least six of the eight revelations recorded at that point in
the journal were read to a church congregation at Far West on
8 July. Three dated
12 January 1838, the day that JS left
Kirtland for Far West, focused on the church presidency, reinforcing their
authority, establishing stringent requirements for any attempts to discipline
them, and directing them to leave Kirtland and move to
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

as soon as possible. Five more
revelations, all dated 8 July, provided
directions for the reorganization of the Quorum of Twelve and a proselytizing
mission that they were to undertake in Europe, called
for tithing to be instituted in the church, and gave instructions for several
church leaders and former leaders. Between the January revelations and the July revelations, Robinson recorded a brief synopsis,
from a millenarian perspective, of contemporary developments affecting the
church in Missouri, including consequences of the expulsion of dissidents in
June and the influx of numerous Latter-day
Saint settlers to northwestern Missouri.

did not resume regular
journal entries until 26 July. From that
point, his journal keeping was relatively consistent through
10 September, when the journal ends. These
entries show that expansion beyond
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

during
summer 1838, and on
6 July, “Kirtland Camp,” the largest single
group of Saints to leave
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Tyler,
Samuel D. “A Daily Journal of the Travelling of the Camp of Latter Day Saints
Which Went Out from Kirtland for Zion, July 6th, 1838.” CHL.

Their arrival made it evident to the Mormons’
neighbors in Daviess County that within a few months the Mormons would
outnumber other citizens. Meanwhile, in
late July,
Carroll County residents pressed the Saints to leave
De
Witt

Located on bluffs north of Missouri River, about six miles above mouth of Grand River. Permanently settled, by 1826. Laid out, 1836. First called Elderport; name changed to De Witt, 1837, when town acquired by speculators David Thomas and Henry Root, who ...

Ca. 1811–10 Nov. 1850. Sheriff, military colonel, clerk, hotelier. Born at Jessamine Co., Kentucky. Son of Robert Peniston and Nancy Nuttle. Moved to Ray Co., Missouri, ca. 1831. A founder of Millport, in what became Daviess Co., Missouri, where family built...

, a candidate for the state
legislature, mounted a whiskey barrel at the village square at
Gallatin

Founded and laid out, 1837. Unofficial county seat, beginning 1837. Officially named county seat, 1841. Several Latter-day Saints attempted to vote at Gallatin, 6 Aug. 1838, but were attacked by local residents. After Mormon-Missouri conflict erupted, Saints...

,
Daviess County, to persuade a crowd of men to prevent the Latter-day Saints
from voting. A brawl ensued, and at
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

,
JS heard from an otherwise credible non-Mormon
source that the corpses of Latter-day Saint casualties were being withheld from
church members in
Daviess County

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

Hartley, William G. My Best for the Kingdom:
History and Autobiography of John Lowe Butler, a Mormon Frontiersman.
Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 1993.

JS accompanied a body of armed
men to Daviess County to recover the bodies for burial but learned at
Adam-ondi-Ahman

Town located in northwest Missouri. JS revelations designated area as place where Adam blessed his posterity after leaving Garden of Eden and where Adam will return prior to Second Coming. While seeking new areas in Daviess Co. for settlement, JS and others...

that, despite multiple injuries, there were no fatalities on either side. There
they also heard a rumor that local justice of the peace
Adam
Black

11 Sept. 1801–14 July 1890. Farmer, sheriff, justice of the peace, judge. Born at Henderson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Black and Jane Wilson. Moved near Booneville, Copper Co., Missouri Territory, and then to Ray Co., Missouri Territory, 1819. Elected ...

was raising a mob to avenge blows the Mormons had landed in the
Gallatin fracas. JS and his associates, now including prominent Adam-ondi-Ahman
resident Lyman Wight

9 May 1796–31 Mar. 1858. Farmer. Born at Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of Levi Wight Jr. and Sarah Corbin. Served in War of 1812. Married Harriet Benton, 5 Jan. 1823, at Henrietta, Monroe Co., New York. Moved to Warrensville, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, ...

, visited the home of Black, who a year
earlier had warned Latter-day Saints to leave the county. The Mormons found no
mob but obtained a signed commitment from Black that the rights of Latter-day
Saints would be protected. The following day, a delegation of prominent Daviess
County citizens met with JS, Wight, and other Latter-day Saints at
Adam-ondi-Ahman, where both sides exchanged pledges to avoid injuring the other
and to settle any disputes through legal channels.27

11 Sept. 1801–14 July 1890. Farmer, sheriff, justice of the peace, judge. Born at Henderson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Black and Jane Wilson. Moved near Booneville, Copper Co., Missouri Territory, and then to Ray Co., Missouri Territory, 1819. Elected ...

Ca. 1811–10 Nov. 1850. Sheriff, military colonel, clerk, hotelier. Born at Jessamine Co., Kentucky. Son of Robert Peniston and Nancy Nuttle. Moved to Ray Co., Missouri, ca. 1831. A founder of Millport, in what became Daviess Co., Missouri, where family built...

used an embellished account of the
encounter at Black’s home to mobilize both legal and vigilante action against
the Mormons. Peniston traveled with others to
Richmond

Area settled, ca. 1814. Officially platted as Ray Co. seat, 1827. Population in 1840 about 500. Seat of Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri; also location of courthouse and jails. JS and about sixty other Mormon men were incarcerated here while awaiting...

,
Ray County, to recruit volunteers to help protect the old settlers of
Daviess County

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

. While there, Peniston showed
local citizens an affidavit from Black claiming that the Mormon party that
visited his house had threatened him with immediate death if he refused to sign
their agreement.28

21 Sept. 1802–22 Apr. 1870. Attorney, judge, politician, farmer. Born at Sullivan Co., Tennessee. Son of Walter King and Nancy Sevier. Married first Nancy Harris Roberts, 13 May 1828, at Jackson, Madison Co., Tennessee. In 1830, moved to Missouri, where he...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

Located in northwestern Missouri. Area settled, 1815. Created from Howard Co., 1820. Initially included all state land north of Missouri River and west of Grand River. Population in 1830 about 2,700; in 1836 about 6,600; and in 1840 about 6,600. Latter-day...

Settled ca. 1800. Organized from Ray Co., 1822. Original size diminished when land was taken to create several surrounding counties. Liberty designated county seat, 1822. Population in 1830 about 5,000; in 1836 about 8,500; and in 1840 about 8,300. Refuge...

9 May 1796–31 Mar. 1858. Farmer. Born at Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of Levi Wight Jr. and Sarah Corbin. Served in War of 1812. Married Harriet Benton, 5 Jan. 1823, at Henrietta, Monroe Co., New York. Moved to Warrensville, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, ...

Then Black, Peniston, and their allies fanned
out to recruit volunteers from additional counties. After Black’s visit to
Livingston County, Missouri newspapers spread claims that Mormons had
threatened additional Daviess County settlers, destroyed crops, and perhaps
even murdered Peniston and other prominent residents.30

Established 16 Nov. 1820. Village of Chariton named county seat, 1820. Keytesville named county seat, 1833. Population in 1830 about 1,800. Population in 1836 about 3,500. In Aug. 1831, while en route from Independence to Kirtland, JS met ten other elders...

When JS and Wight were not arrested as anticipated,
Peniston and other members of a Daviess County “Committee of Vigilance” again
agitated throughout northwestern Missouri for volunteers to gather to Daviess
County—this time to drive the Latter-day Saints out of the county.32

11 Sept. 1801–14 July 1890. Farmer, sheriff, justice of the peace, judge. Born at Henderson Co., Kentucky. Son of William Black and Jane Wilson. Moved near Booneville, Copper Co., Missouri Territory, and then to Ray Co., Missouri Territory, 1819. Elected ...

’s assertion that
JS and other Latter-day Saints had threatened his
life, coupled with a new claim that JS and
Wight

9 May 1796–31 Mar. 1858. Farmer. Born at Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of Levi Wight Jr. and Sarah Corbin. Served in War of 1812. Married Harriet Benton, 5 Jan. 1823, at Henrietta, Monroe Co., New York. Moved to Warrensville, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, ...

LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Columbia:
University of Missouri Press, 1987.

The vigilantes called for men from
other counties to come armed to
Daviess County

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

on
7 September in preparation for an
8 September offensive against the
Mormons.

In hopes of heading off
confrontation and to counter the notion that they would not be subject to the
law, JS and
Wight

9 May 1796–31 Mar. 1858. Farmer. Born at Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of Levi Wight Jr. and Sarah Corbin. Served in War of 1812. Married Harriet Benton, 5 Jan. 1823, at Henrietta, Monroe Co., New York. Moved to Warrensville, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, ...

submitted to arrest and attended a preliminary hearing on a charge of riot. On
7 September 1838, when JS appeared at the
hearing, he was greeted by the anti-Mormons who had gathered in
Daviess County

Area in northwest Missouri settled by European Americans, 1830. Sparsely inhabited until 1838. Created from Ray Co., Dec. 1836, in attempt to resolve conflicts related to Mormon settlement in that region. County is transected diagonally from northwest to ...

21 Sept. 1802–22 Apr. 1870. Attorney, judge, politician, farmer. Born at Sullivan Co., Tennessee. Son of Walter King and Nancy Sevier. Married first Nancy Harris Roberts, 13 May 1828, at Jackson, Madison Co., Tennessee. In 1830, moved to Missouri, where he...

LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Columbia:
University of Missouri Press, 1987.

The assault originally scheduled
to begin on 8 September was merely postponed
for two days while the vigilantes arranged
with sympathizers in
Ray County

Located in northwestern Missouri. Area settled, 1815. Created from Howard Co., 1820. Initially included all state land north of Missouri River and west of Grand River. Population in 1830 about 2,700; in 1836 about 6,600; and in 1840 about 6,600. Latter-day...

to deliver a stockpile
of rifles on 9 September. As the present
journal was coming to a close, Mormon companies of
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

militia
headed for Daviess County to protect the Latter-day Saints residing there.
Another Mormon militia unit intercepted the shipment of weapons from Ray
County, foiling plans for the offensive. After the vigilantes’ plan was
thwarted, they confined their efforts for a time to terrorizing outlying Mormon
homes; in response, Latter-day Saint militia from
Far
West

Originally called Shoal Creek. Located fifty-five miles northeast of Independence. Surveyed 1823; first settled by whites, 1831. Site purchased, 8 Aug. 1836, before Caldwell Co. was organized for Latter-day Saints in Missouri. William W. Phelps and John Whitmer...

JS’s “Scriptory Book” is recorded
on pages 15 to 83 of a large record book entitled “General” that also includes
a list of church members in
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

, Missouri
(pages 2–14), a copy of JS’s 16 December
1838 letter from the
jail in
Liberty

Located in western Missouri, thirteen miles north of Independence. Settled 1820. Clay Co. seat, 1822. Incorporated as town, May 1829. Following expulsion from Jackson Co., 1833, many Latter-day Saints found refuge in Clay Co., with church leaders and other...

,
Missouri (pages 101–108), and an aborted record partially entitled “Recor” in
unidentified handwriting (page 110). The book, which measures 13 x 8¼ x 1¾
inches (33 x 21 x 4 cm), has 182 leaves of ledger paper sized 12½ x 7¾ inches
(32 x 20 cm) with thirty-seven lines in blue ink per page. There are eighteen
gatherings of various sizes, each of about a dozen leaves. The text block is
sewn all along over three vellum tapes. The heavy pink endpapers each consist
of a pastedown and two flyleaves pasted together. The text block edges are
stained green. The volume has a hardbound ledger-style binding with a
hollow-back spine and glued-on blue-striped cloth headbands. It is bound in
brown split-calfskin leather with blind-tooled decoration around the outside
border and along the turned-in edges of the leather on the inside covers. At
some point the letter “G” was hand printed in ink on the front cover. The
original leather cover over the spine—which appears to have been intentionally
removed—may have borne a title or filing notation.

The journal is inscribed in black ink
that later turned brown and is almost entirely in the handwriting of
George W. Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into LDS church and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high council, beginning Jan. 1836. Married...

(D&C 112) on pages 72–74.
Running heads added by Robinson throughout the journal indicate the months of
the entries on the page. The volume was later used in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...

, Illinois, as a
source for
JS’s multivolume manuscript history of the church.
During the preparation of the history, redactions and use marks were made in
graphite pencil. Redactions in graphite and ink may have been made at other
times as well. In 1845, the book was turned over
so that the back cover became the front and the last page became the first.
This side of the book was used to record patriarchal blessings. The original
spine may have been removed at this time. The spine is now labeled with a
number “5”, designating its volume number in a series of books of patriarchal
blessings.

The volume is listed in Nauvoo and
early Utah inventories of church records, indicating continuous custody.1

At some point, the leaf
containing pages 54 and 55 was torn from the journal. This removed leaf—which
is transcribed herein and contains, among other writings, the earliest extant
text of an 8 July 1838 revelation for the
Quorum of the Twelve (D&C 118)—was for a time kept in Revelation Book
2.2